What to Expect from Brett Baty

Can We Look 90 miles South for What Baty Development Looks Like

The acquisition of J.D. Martinez clearly improves the Mets' offense going into 2024. We dared to dream at Talkin’ Mets Beyond the Mic, as the Baseball Musings calculator predicted a lineup that could average five runs a game.

Even more important was the pressure it takes off Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. Both had bullish springs on both sides of the ball, giving hope that Carlos Mendoza has the next crop of impactful positional players since Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil debuted five years ago.

There appears to be a high level of confidence that Alvarez will continue to build on last season's momentum. Even when he slumped in the second half, his defense and game-calling behind the plate drew rave reviews. He showed off his cannon of an arm in Port St. Lucie, routinely throwing out baserunners even when hamstrung by the pickoff rule. If Alvarez doesn’t hit, he still has an impact on winning.

Baty, on the other hand, still elicits mixed optimism. He did show life with his bat, but even the improved defense was marked by instances where he botched routine plays. Defense has been a focus of David Stearns since he took over and is a critical part of his team-building philosophy.

Baty is the lone defender in the starting lineup who cannot be counted on to make plays late in games. Zack Short and Joey Wendle can spell him for defense, but ultimately, the bat will keep Baty as the starting third baseman now and into the future.

Coming off a season in which he produced a putrid .598 OPS and an OPS+ 35% below the league average, Baty has only one way to go: up. How long of a leash should he have? Is it inconceivable that Short, Wendle, or perhaps the recently demoted Mark Vientos will take his job if he struggles out of the gate?

Patience might be a virtue in this scenario. Can the Mets learn from one of their rivals, who were in a similar situation with a top third-base prospect just a couple of years ago?